


Umbra

by harpybones



Series: Omnes Condemnabitur [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Flora & Fauna, Alien Mythology/Religion, Alien Planet, Alien Technology, Alien/Human Relationships, Aliens, Anarchy, Attempted Murder, Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Future, Guillotine, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Interspecies Awkwardness, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Military, Multi, Near Future, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible Character Death, Rioting, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-07-10 18:58:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15955493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harpybones/pseuds/harpybones
Summary: 70 years passed since the year 2000. 70 years as the government begins to become more and more controlling, taking away freedom and free will as each day passes. Privacy and comfort was a thing of the past. Technology controlled your world, and the government's watchful eyes stalked everything you did, no matter where it was.Freedom was nonexistent.This was the reality, and no one seems to know how this happened, except those that worked inside. Those like her.Jacklyne Hagan was a lead engineer for the U.S Army, and worked with their space program. She was aware of the things that were going on inside the White House, thanks to a few overhearings. She remembers stories of the past, of how things used to be. She'd give anything to go back.One night, however, she meets someone.Someone who's chained from wrists to ankles.Someone who speaks of a corrupt and imperialistic leadership.Someone who's in need of serious assistance.Someone just like her.(ON HIATUS)





	1. Imperatrix I

_And so did the Coward, his Lowness, sit at the feet of the Matriarch,_

_Unslain but not unharmed, weeping for forgiveness,_

_The Umbra seized by uneased anarchy, the Coward usurped by the ragged Maiden,_

_She stood,_

_As his fate was sealed with a single drop of scarlet._


	2. I

      __ __She pulled back her hair and pushed down the goggles to her neck, grunting at the streak of grease that rubbed off her fingers. Jacklyne picked up her wash rag and turned the knob on the sink. Wetting it, she scrubbed her hands, arms, and face to wash away the oil and grease.

 

Jacklyne loved working on machinery. Technology was her specialty, and finding out how things worked was always fun and interesting. She landed her role as a technician in the U.S Army with her skills, and even though she's retired now, she still wanted to use her talent for something.

 

The one downside to it is cleaning up afterwards. So much filth. But it's worth it.

 

Jacklyne crossed her arms behind her head and stretched. She scanned the garage, taking note of all the stray tools and junk lying around that she had to pick up. 

 

Before she could get started, a large boom rang outside, followed by a crash and a loud rumble. Jacklyne stood in fear and confusion as she felt the floor beneath her feet shake. The shelves and desks vibrated, tossing side to side, objects sliding off onto the concrete ground. Jacklyne stumbled across the garage trying not to trip over tools and other fallen objects. The retired soldier managed to reach the garage’s controlled door, hesitantly pressing the button. She waited.

 

    The door creaked as it rolled up. Jacklyne covered her eyes and mouth with her arm as dust flew into the room. She hurriedly grabbed the goggles that were around her neck and pushed them up over her eyes. Peering around, the dust remained like fog, hindering her vision. 

The fact that it was late didn't help either. The woman felt around with her hands and feet in an attempt to guide herself across the yard. 

 

After moments of wandering her destroyed lawn, Jacklyne stumbled upon a large object sticking out of her once freshly cut grass. She gently kicked it, and presumed it was metal from it's hard surface and the creaking sound it made. Excitement grew within. She crouched down to inspect the object, waving her hand to move the dust away. This particular piece of metal had an insignia painted onto it. Jacklyne had never seen anything like it before. Below the symbol was foreign script. 

 

She had been all over the world in her army days, and had never seen a language quite like this.

 

The echo of clinks and distant movement caught her attention. Jacklyne swiveled her head to the direction of rattling chains. The veteran quietly crawled around the wreckage, when suddenly her eyes met with a dark figure.

 

Was it scales? Skin? Slimy amphibious skin, perhaps? Whatever it was, it’s jet black body was beautifully decorated with speckles and patches of bright green that glowed in the night. Three devilish green horns protruded from either side of it's head with a similar bioluminescent effect. It also had pointed ears, and reptilian-like spikes ran down from the back of it's head all the way down to it's tail.

 

Jacklyne found herself staring at this creature for much too long. She snapped back whenever she realized it was staring at her too. It's emerald feline-ish eyes were squinted, as if in pain or in annoyance. She scooted back whenever the creature attempted to stand, but it fell back to the ground.

 

She wasn't sure if she should help or not. Would it attack her?

 

The creature turned it's head to the veteran. Jacklyne watched as it “spoke”, but the words were foreign to her. Nothing she ever heard before. The creature seemed to realize this, as it wearily sat up, furrowing it’s brows. It then spoke again.

 

“You're human, right?”

 

It spoke with a voice that resembled a young male, in what seemed like perfect English, so far. Jacklyne froze.

 

“¿Tu hablas Inglés?”

 

She shook it off and finally responded, shakingly. “I, uh, yeah. Yeah, I speak English. We're in the United States...on Earth, you see. It's the, uh, primary…language...” She trailed off. Was it familiar with this planet already? Unsettling thought.

 

“Earth, huh? Hardly recognized it. You guys really went to Hell, haha!” He smiled. The alien gestured to himself. “Talk’s been cool, pixie cut, but I kinda need help here.”

 

Jacklyne glanced down. Broken iron chains were wrapped around his neck and wrists. A story was building around this mysterious alien. This wasn't an intentional greeting. No “coming in peace”. This was a prison escape.

 

“You got any bolt cutters in there, Handy Manny?” 

 

The veteran was pushed out of her thoughts once more. The alien was gazing into her garage. It seemed the dust has finally blown away. She smiled.

 

“Yo no hablo Español.” She joked.

 

The alien widely grinned back, sharp canines poking over his bottom lip. “Clearly you do!”

 

Jacklyne stood up and walked over to the jet black alien. She offered out her hand. “You want me to help you up? I got a couch in the garage you can sit on. I'm sure it's much more comfortable than the ground.” She suggested.

 

The creature appeared to be a bit hesitant at the offer, but grabbed onto her hand anyway. “Yeah, uh, that'll be great.”

 

The woman carried her alien acquaintance under her arm, guiding him into the garage and sitting him onto the couch. He was tell, much taller than her, but he was slouching quite low. She walked over to her largest tool box and grabbed the biggest, and strongest, pair of bolt cutters she owned. With the dust out of the way and the clearer lighting, Jacklyne was able to get a better look at this alien. 

 

She finally noticed his animal shaped legs with freakishly long claws. If evolution taught anything, it's that all characteristics, especially bizarre ones, have a purpose. Jacklyne wondered if human science even applied to extraterrestrials.

 

“Alright, let's get these off.” She whispered while locking the bolt cutters onto one of the iron links. With a strong squeeze, the link busted, and Jacklyne began to unwrap the chains. She then repeated with the cuffs around his wrists and neck. 

 

Finally freed, the alien sighed and leaned back into the couch. Jacklyne sat the bolt cutters down onto the table beside her. She turned her attention to him after hearing him shuffle around.

 

He propped himself up on one arm. “Alright, proposition.” He pointed to her. “You help me get back in motion,” Then he pointed to himself. “And you'll never see this face again. Got it?”

 

Jacklyne looked to the side. She thought for a moment, then crossed her arms. 

 

“You give me the greatest introduction imaginable, and now you want to bail on me?” She pointed at him, then to herself. 

 

He raised to retort, but paused when she spoke again.

 

“I have over a billion questions to ask! Did you think I wouldn’t? How do you know our languages, and when did you come here before, where are you from, et cetera.”

 

He cocked a brow and responded with a smirk. “Well you can ask me all those questions while you’re fixing my ship, best friend.” He winked.

 

Jacklyne grunted and raised her voice. “Ugh! I don’t even know your name!”

 

“I don’t know yours either, so yeah. No argument.”

 

“Touché , asshole.” She crossed her arms again.

 

The alien tapped his clawed finger on the arm of the couch. “Look I appreciate you helping me and all, that’s pretty damn fantastic, but I kinda need to bolt. Fixing that ship would be a big favor I’d have in your debt.”

 

Jacklyne listened closely.

 

“I honestly didn’t expect any of this. I thought I’d be dead, but the Gods continue to curse me, so.” He paused. “I know fixing that thing won't be an easy job. I’ll just hang out in here and you’ll never have to interact with me. Unless you want to ask those questions, I guess.”

 

“Why do you insist that I don't want to talk to you?” She questioned.

The alien sighed. “Because I’m well aware of human stereotyping. Anyone or anything that’s different from you is automatically bad and deserving of torment.”

 

Jacklyne was surprised. That was...accurate. Many people, especially in the recent years, have become intolerable of each other. If an alien recognized that, it’s definitely a problem. 

“Of course, not every human is like that. You’re clearly not.”

 

She smiled, then gestured to the broken ship. “So, when do you want this done exactly?”

 

“As quickly as possible, actually. I’m in a hurry.”

 

“Obviously.” She walked over to her tool chest. “You know you’re gonna have to tell me what’s going on, right? With you and this prison escape?” 

 

“Yeah, I know.” He laughed. “Avel, by the way.”

 

She cocked a brow.

 

“Name’s Avel.”

 

“Oh, uh, Jack. Jacklyne.”


	3. II

“So is there oxygen on your planet?”

 

“No. Most of it is, uh, what do you people call it...? Xenon?”

 

“You  _ breathe  _ Xenon? Then how are you alive here?”

 

“Because our lungs are built to convert gases into forms we can use. Umbria has different kinds of chemicals all over it. For millions of years, us “lesser kind” of our species was limited to only a fraction of our planet, but over time we evolved to survive on the rest of it.”

 

Jacklyne scanned over the blueprints Avel drew out. “What do you mean “lesser kind?"

 

Avel sighed and grimaced. He spoke with a sour tone. “There is only one type of Cambionite that could survive anywhere on our planet. The alphas of our species. But for centuries there’s only been one alive at a time. The Matriarch.”

 

“Huh.” Judging by Avel’s tone expression, he clearly didn’t want to talk about this “matriarch”. Jacklyne quickly changed the subject. “So how exactly am I supposed to fix this? Isn’t your technology different from ours? More advanced?”

 

“Not exactly. I mean, of course it’s a bit different, but you should have the skills to fix it. All you have to do is read the-...Uh…” He paused. “You...can’t read that. Right. Um, I can walk you through it and help if you want.”

 

Jacklyne shook her head and laughed. “You’re gonna have to. I can’t read this.”

 

~

 

    Whenever the pod crashed, Jacklyne knew she would have to clean everything up quickly. She lived outside the Philadelphia city limits, but a crash like that...She wasn’t sure if anyone felt it or not. But she wasn't going to risk it. 

 

She’s been inside the government's most secret locations. She’s fixed their machines. She knows what they do. She knows how they feel about these things. And if she could protect any foreign lifeforms from government officials, she would do whatever it takes. Jacklyn knows that the government has kept a watchful eye on her since she left, but she's made sure that eye stayed out of her home. Avel would safely return to Umbria, and no one would know he was here. Except her.

  
  
  


~

 

Jacklyne finished her shift and returned home. She sometimes did work on the side, but most of her income comes from fixing vehicles or machines for major companies in the lovely city of Philadelphia. It wasn't that bad, but she would never live in it. Too much confusion. Too much noise. 

 

She stepped through her front door, kicked off her shoes, wobbled across the living room and collapsed on her couch. Jacklyne exhaled, relaxing into the soft cushions. She was tired. Coming home to a quiet house was the final goal of each passing day. 

 

However, irritation rose within. She was still sticky with sweat and dirt, and whatever else she collected outside. 

 

Gross.

 

Jacklyne unbuttoned her blue overshirt, throwing it across the room. She’ll pick it up later, she proposed. Relief was instant. Still, the feeling persisted, and Jacklyne just couldn’t handle it. 

 

Second one wouldn’t hurt. She’ll get a shower afterwards, anyway. 

 

Once again, she leaned into the sofa. The cool air and humming from the blasting AC unit created a calming aura around the quiet home.

 

Tapping on her kitchen’s marble floors jerked the woman from her calming state. A mixed feeling of fear and curiosity arose. Jacklyne began to reach for the nearest object to use as a weapon until,

  
  


“Hey pixie cut, I was wondering if-”

 

He stopped mid sentence, eyes darting around the room as he tries to figure out what to say. What was he going to say? What did he come in here for again?

 

Humans are weird. He’s already made this assumption. And as each day passes, Avel is sure this assumption will become a fact.

 

Just as Humans are weird, their customs are weird. Going off of previous knowledge, Avel knows he’s supposed to be embarrassed by this. He should feel shame, but he doesn’t. Different planet, different customs. Avel decides he’ll leave, for her respect. As a visitor, he should follow their rules. Surely Jacklyne would understand, he doesn’t remember every aspect of human behav-

 

Avel’s thoughts are interrupted by a smack to the head. He yelps, holding the bruise and looking down with blurry vision. The weapon she used was what he remembers to be a television remote control. 

 

She threw a TV remote at him. Fantastic. 

 

Avel looks back up at her. “Agh, dammit pixie cut! No words, just violence?”

 

Jacklyne had already put her shirt back on at this point. She narrowed her eyes at the alien, huffing. “Do you people knock before you enter rooms? At all?”

 

“Yeah, we do. But I didn’t remember if you people did. Either way, I didn’t expect any of that,”

 

“How did you get into my house? I locked all the doors.”

 

“Claws come in handy.”

 

“So you broke in?”

 

“I never said I was a saint.”

 

Jacklyne groaned with annoyance. He always has something smart to come back with. Arguing with Avel is a chore. 

 

The alien bared a winning grin. “But hey, I promise to knock next time. I don’t wanna get a concussion from whatever you decide to launch my way.”

 

She stifled a laugh. “So, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

 

Avel wandered over to her direction. “Well, I came in to see if you were gonna work on my ship again tonight.”

 

The mechanic sighed, remembering her overtime project. That damn thing.

 

“Right. The pod.” She rubbed the back of her head. “Alright, Avel. I’m getting a shower, then I’ll see about that machine.”


	4. Imperatrix II

_ What do you plan to do about the tyrant, Ghamrah? _

 

_ Surely you can’t make it into the Umbra without being detected. _

 

_ Oh? _

 

_ Lady Ghamrah, I don’t think that is... _

 

_ Of course, m’lady, as you wish. I’ll see to it at once. _

 

_ I suppose, we shall see how this goes from here, yes? _

 

_... _


	5. III

After weeks of hard work and substitute technology, the functional and repaired alien ship stood tall before her. Jacklyne was proud of her work, and hoped that Avel would be appreciative of what she had done for him.

 

What Avel said the day he crash landed still bothered her. Would he really leave her in the dark? After everything she has done?

 

He’s staying in HER home, eating HER food, using HER electricity...

 

And when it’s all said and done, he’ll up and leave? The mechanic wondered if maybe, if there was just a small possibility, that he’d reconsider that decision.

 

Though she’d never tell him, it was nice to have someone to talk to after years of being alone in dark seclusion. The silence was deafening, and the loneliness far from comforting.

 

After years inside that base, Jacklyne grew to fear the dark.

 

~

 

“Okay, so I sorta take back what I said before,” Avel started, pausing after one bite of the dessert on the plate before him. “Human food is  _ okay _ . It’s not great, but not bad either. Kinda somewhere in between, has an odd taste, but that’s not quite a bad thing...” 

 

Jacklyne smirked. “You like it, don’t you?”

“Hell yeah, it’s delicious! I demand more.” Avel smiled.

 

Jacklyne squinted, and joked, but with a tad of sourness in her tone. “Demand, and you won’t get anything, you freaky little Xenomorph child.”

 

“Pfft. Little?” Avel scoffed, crossing his arms. “Wanna try again?”

 

The woman chuckled, gazing out the window, focusing on the half moon.

 

The sight filled her with a bit of melancholy. She began to think a bit too much about her newfound friend leaving her. About her house returning to quiet solitude. About walking down to a dark garage, never seeing those glowing green patches ever again. She faintly heard the scraping of metal against glass. Avel already lost interest in the conversation. Did he even really care about her? Or was he just there for the benefit he got from their “friendship”?

 

“Avel,” she started. “Can we talk?”

 

The alien paused, a hint of worry in his eyes. He sat the fork down with a clang upon the small glass plate. He quietly cleared his throat. “Sure pixie, what’s on your mind?”

 

Jacklyne hesitated after a moment. “What’s gonna happen after you leave?”

 

He expected the question, but didn’t really know how to answer it. He’d return home, of course. He’d fix the problem that was plaguing his planet. But Avel knew that the woman wouldn’t take a simple answer. 

 

She wanted an explanation, not reassurance.

 

She wanted the explanation he owed her since their first meeting.

 

“I’ll go back to Umbria. Forward my vital information to my colleagues, and then we'll put our plan back into motion.”

 

“Your plan?” She asked. “What plan?”

 

Avel leaned forward. “I’m a vigilante, pixie. My resistance group,  _ Caelux,  _ is to fix the corrupt system on my planet. You know,  _ Vive la Révolution _ , and all that.” He chuckled at his overly exaggerated french accent. 

 

Jacklyne remembered the conversation she had with Avel almost a week ago. “Your...matriarch, right?” She questioned. “The one who’s creating tension between your people” 

 

Avel scoffed. “Oh, she’s doing more than that. She’s brainwashing everyone, and making her plans while we're all too busy killing each other to object to her word.” He sighed. “She’s making a nation that revolves around her and what she wants, not what the Cambionites want. And she’s doing that, by starting with political opinion. Get everyone distracted by arguing and fighting, then she’ll get to work. And when they least expect it, she’ll snatch everything away. And everyone’s gonna act stupid, wondering what happened...”  Avel rubbed his clawed hand against his forehead, pinching between his brows. 

 

Jacklyne thought for a moment. There has to be something, anything, that she can do to assist him, right? She exhaled quietly. “Is there any way I can help, before you go?” 

 

Avel stayed quiet, thinking. He looked up at her, a glint. “How good are you in debates?”

 

“What do you mean? Political debates?” She asked. Debates? Where is he going with this?

 

“Yeah. Are you good with words? Leadership?”

 

Back on the base, after she was promoted from her mechanical labor, Jacklyne led a team of space scouters. They were meant to locate distant planets, and scan for any form of alien life. Though she simply redirected orders given to her, Jacklyne took her role seriously. The job meant a lot to her. Her colleagues, too.

 

“Yeah,” She said. “I have experience. Why?”

 

Avel focused his eyes on her. Sliding out of the chair, the alien swiftly moved over to where Jacklyne was standing. Jacklyne stiffened as he looked her in the eye, a gaze feral and intimidating. She froze.

 

“You really wanna help me?” His voice was cold.

 

She gathered the strength to respond. “Yes, I do.”

 

Avel smiled, baring his sharp teeth. “Alright then, pixie,” he laughed, placing his hand onto her shoulder. “Let's get this going, shall we?”


	6. Imperatrix III

_Scarlet, Fuschia, Rouge_

 

_Scarlet sheets, Xenon, and alcohol,_

 

_Scarlet curtains that were once pale white,_

 

_Oh, Love,_

 

_What a fool you are,_

 

_To get caught up with me_


	7. IV

Jacklyne lifted her head from her arms. Her vision was still blurry, but she attempted to identify her surroundings anyway. She fell asleep in her arms while resting her head on the metal table that was in…

 

She felt the floor rumbling beneath her feet.

  
She heard soft humming and buzzing coming from the walls.

 

Jacklyne bolted up from the chair so quickly, it fell behind her. She searched for a clock. Everything was dark, though. It was pitch black. She couldn’t determine where walls were, or how far she was from them. What time is it?

 

Jacklyne remembered just then, where she was. But she was distracted by the dark. The dark surrounding her in that big, empty room. She couldn’t see anything for miles, it seemed. 

 

It’s dark…   
  


Why is it so  **dark** ?

 

For some reason, she searched for green. Something green and bright. A bright jade to guide her through the dark. She wasn’t sure why.

 

She shivered. It was cold. 

 

The cold, the metal walls, the humming, the darkness for miles, and herself. Alone.

 

It all reminded her of the Base. Her scouts, and her alone in the monitor room. 

 

Jacklyne didn’t realize her heart rate escalated, or that her palms were shaking so vigorously.

 

Her legs became weak, she needed to find that chair, and try to go back to sleep, but she couldn’t find the floor. She couldn’t find anything. Nothing.

 

Jacklyne began to stumble around the room. If it even was a room. Where was she, again?

 

She ran into something. Feeling the surface, she realized it was a wall. A wall with something that felt, sharp.

 

Her face felt prickly and wet.

 

Suddenly, her vision went white. She gasped, stumbling backwards and bumping into something else.

 

Someone else, actually.

 

“Pixie…?”

 

Jacklyne recognized the voice. She blinked a few times as her vision cleared. The light was on. She turned around, recognizing Avel. He had an expression she hadn’t seen him with before.

 

The normally laid back alien seemed rather tense. Serious.

 

“What are you doing, Pixie?”

 

Jacklyne didn’t know how to answer. She just stared back at him. What was she doing?

 

“Look, I don’t have all day. If you need help-”

 

“I’m afraid of the dark!”

 

She didn't intend on blurting it out. That came out of nowhere. Why did she do that?

 

“You’re afraid...of the dark?” Avel seemed surprised.

 

Jacklyne sighed. “Yes. I just, don’t like it. It was dark, and I couldn’t see anything, no walls and no lights, and I…”

 

“Hey, it’s fine. I’ll just leave some lights on from now on.” Avel smiled. 

He noticed a cut on her cheek. “You, uh, need a Band-Aid?”

 

“Wh- Oh, yeah. I guess. Thanks.”

~

Avel gave her a blanket after she mentioned how cold it was. But Jacklyne couldn’t sleep. She decided to go to the command room and watch how Avel navigated this foreign technology.

Jacklyne had several jobs when she served. It wasn’t just an army mechanic, or space exploration, though those were her primary ones. She piloted for a while, and used submarines. They really couldn’t decide where they wanted her, since her skills weren’t specific. So they let her choose what she wanted to do. 

Despite her love for machines, the wonders of the universe called her. She could work on rockets and computers, but she also wanted to travel  _ with _ the astronauts. Join them on fascinating journeys across the stars. Discover the universe’s hidden secrets. Earth’s sisters speckled around all different kinds of galaxies. She wanted to help find them.

They let her work with their astronauts, but kept her with the machines for a while. Eventually she led scouts, but during that time, she was still behind a screen, spouting commands through a microphone headset.

Jacklyne only remembers a handful of times when she was allowed to go into space. Even if only for a few days or months, it was magical for her.

And now, here she was. A  _ real _ journey. Nothing she’s ever done could compare to this, Jacklyne believes. She’ll help save these people. She knows it. And even if no one back home knows about it, the Cambionites will. That’s all that matters to her.

She rested her head in her hands, pulling the blanket around her and watching Avel work this machine. It fascinated her to no end, how far other species have come compared to humans. She wondered what “Umbria” looked like. It sounded beautiful to her.

She had many questions, but was too tired to ask. Jacklyne fought to keep her eyes open, but she couldn’t much longer. The humming eventually pulled her to sleep. 

Confident that she was asleep, Avel put the craft in autopilot mode. He gently picked the  _ much _ smaller human up and took her somewhere more comfortable. He adjusted the blanket so it didn’t fall off. Jacklyne mumbled something in her sleep. 

_ “Thank you” _

Avel pretended he didn’t notice.


	8. Imperatrix IV

_ Ghamra, my darling, please, _

 

_ Please don’t do this to me, _

 

_ I can do better,  _

 

_ I promise I’ll do better, _

 

_ Just, _

 

_ … _

 

_ Ghamrah, _

 

_ Please put that blade away, _

 

_ I love you _


	9. V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of suicide in this chapter

“Psst…”

 

_ Nudge _

 

“Hey, pixie…”

 

_ Nudge _

 

“Piiiixiiiie....”

 

_ Nudge _

 

“Don’t make me bite you.”

 

_ Nudge _

 

“Okay, here goes...”

 

_ Inhale _

**_“_ ** **_JACKLYNE!_ ** **_”_ **

 

Her eyes flew open, and her body launched itself off the pile of blankets when her name was shrieked right into her own ears. The demonic echo startled her heart out of her own chest. Jacklyne was stunned, but eventually calmed herself. Mostly. “It’s okay Satan, I’m awake.” She rasped.

 

“Good, ‘cause I didn’t want you to miss the visuals. C’mon.” 

 

Jacklyne stumbled out of the pile of blankets. Still sleepy, she wobbled into the control room where Avel was waiting. She couldn’t understand what her alien friend wanted her to see. Until her eyes finally adjusted.

 

It was a beautiful marvel of colors. Bright blues, pinks, purples, yellows and greens. They were all swirled and mixed, like an abstract airbrush painting. The faint light from far away stars dotted across the shades. Jacklyne stared in awe at the brightness and hues that decorated the atmosphere.

 

“Avel, where are we right now?" She asked, remnants of sleep still coating her voice.

 

“We’re entering Umbria’s atmosphere.” He said with pride. “Quite the sight, isn’t it?”

 

“Does the sky always look like this?”

 

“The majority of the planet’s sky does, yeah.”

 

Jacklyne was focused on the colors. It would make for a great photograph. Unfortunately, she couldn’t bring anything electronic with her.  She couldn’t risk it. The U.S government tracks electronic devices these days. “Safety” they called it. Controlling is what it is. 

Jacklyne’s grandparents were born in the early 2000’s. They said they expected lots of change in the decades to come. A lot happened in the 70 years since then, for better and worse. She wishes she could tell them that she’s glad they don’t have to live in a world where privacy and secrecy don’t exist anymore. In a way, Jacklyne’s glad she didn’t bring anything. She can continue to admire the view, and not have anything distracting her from it.

 

“Hey pixie, hold on to something. We’re landing.”

 

Jacklyne quickly grabbed a nearby handle. “Already?”

 

Avel didn’t have time to respond. The craft downshifted, and Jacklyne clearly felt the pull. She closed her eyes, and gripped the handle tightly, trying not to let go. Her feet felt glued to the floor. The gravity felt...

 

So...

 

**STRONG!**

Until eventually, she felt light. Jacklyne opened her eyes. Her whole body felt relaxed. As she moved across the craft, every step she took was as if she was gliding across air.

Avel walked towards a nearby closet, digging around for something.

 

“What's the gravitational pull on your planet?” She asked.

 

Avel squinted his eyes a bit. “Umm, around 3.71 I think.” He answered.

 

Oh wow, she thought. That’s light. It’s the same pull as Mercury and Mars, if she remembered correctly. If someone weighed 100 pounds on Earth, they would only weigh around 38 pounds on a planet with a 3.71 gravitational pull.

 

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Avel approach her. The alien handed her a suit and what looked like a gas mask. 

 

“Here, put this on. There’s oxygen converters in here, but you won’t be able to breathe once you step outside. There’s a filter on the helmet.”

 

Jacklyne nodded. She stepped out the room to change. She wasn't sure if she hid it well, but she was filled with excitement. A new place to see other than the toxicated, new world order that is Earth. She couldn’t wait to get out and explore. She quickly changed into the surprisingly comfortable and warm white space suit, she rushed to exit the craft with Avel. He pulled the handle that opened the spacecraft's door. Once she stepped out, she was met with-

 

Oh God. 

 

“What were you expecting, paradise?”

 

They landed far from city limits, but civilization was visible. The nearest city seemed to be hosting a riot. What seemed to be fire was flickering, screaming and shouting, Voices were loud, screeching in a foreign language, but she could tell they were angry. Very angry.

She turned to Avel.

 

“I left for a reason, you know.” His voice was low.

 

“Avel, if you don’t mind me asking,” She started. "Whenever you crash landed, you said you expected to die. And that the Gods were cursing you..."

 

The alien listened closely.

 

“Were you...trying to commit suicide? To escape this anarchy?”

 

He turned away, unable to look her in the eye. He wasn’t sure if there was a simple answer. She’s not aware of how bad things really are on this planet. If she was, she wouldn’t have come. He was sure of that. At least, he thought he was. 

 

Avel cleared his throat. “I didn't really have many options. Caelux was caught by the matriarch’s guards. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault, but I blame myself for it. We were sent to the palace to be judged. I was sure the others were dead, but, well, the king and I…We’re close. Were close, at least. He was going to sentence me to death, but he decided to let me go. A mistake on his part. The queen ordered us dead, and since she has more power than him, he had to comply. Well, before they could behead me, I fought through the crowd, snagged one of their ships, and escaped…” He paused. “I didn’t know where I was going, and really, I didn’t care what would happen to me. I’m not a leader, no matter how hard I tried to be. Everyone depended on me, yet I let them down. And now, they’re probably all dead and cursing me in their graves…”

 

Jacklyne tried to speak, but Avel cut her off. A small line of bright green tears fell down his ebony scales.

 

“Pixie, I’m sorry I dragged you here, I shouldn’t- I don’t know why I-”

 

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I agreed to come.”

 

“But I didn't tell you about-”

 

“Even if you did, it wouldn’t have changed my decision. Hell, it would have given me an even better reason to show up.”

 

Avel still looked upset. The woman placed a hand on his jade patched shoulder. “Avel, don’t be upset.” She said softly. “You did nothing wrong. I’m going to help you put this place back together, you lead the way, and then the Cambionites can live a long, happy life on your planet again. I promise you.”

 

The alien smiled. His already bright jade eyes appeared to get brighter. It quickly fell once a loud explosion emitted from the riot nearby. 

 

“It's best if we avoid that.” He declared. "We’ll head for the other side. That’s where Caelux’s old base was. If we’re lucky, there’s still some stuff left over in the hiding places we made.”

 

Jacklyne grinned. “Lead the way, captain.”


	10. VI

Earlier, the sight of the riot drug Jacklyne’s attention away from Umbria’s scenery. The duo are quite a bit far away from the comotian now, so she can really explore the place. The native flora was bright, colorful, and beautiful. Some plants resembled familiar species on Earth, but with traits that help them adapt to this planet’s environment. The “grass” was a dark shade of purple-blue, and the “trees” had twisted trunks with blue bell-shaped flowers hanging from them. Another tree species was nearby, one that Jacklyne recognized as weeping wisteria. But Jacklyne wasn’t sure if that’s what it was. Clearly the plant life wouldn’t have the same names as Earth’s species, but could it be possible that they are related somehow? A common ancestor, perhaps?

Jacklyne crouched down at a smaller wildflower. “What do you call these?” She asked.

Avel paused and looked down to her and the flower. “Flosferam.” He answered. 

“And the trees?” She asked, gesturing to the many tree varieties around them.

Avel looked around before answering. “In general, we call them arboribus, or bratus.” He pointed to what Jacklyne called a wisteria tree. “That’s a viburnum.” He then pointed to the blue bell tree. “And that is a caeruleum campanis.”

Viburnum. Caeruleum. Campanis. Flos. Feram. Arboribus. Bratus. Jacklyne knows she’s heard these words before. In science. Botany. It’s…

Latin. He’s speaking Latin.

“It’s Latin.” She said. “Why are the names in Latin?”

Avel chuckles. “What YOU hear is Latin. To me, it’s just a sophisticated version of our language.”

Jacklyn was confused. “What do you mean? It’s Latin. One of the earliest written languages. The Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Phoenicians- ”

“Who do you think taught them?”

She paused. Jacklyne has heard the theories about aliens visiting early humans, teaching them, giving knowledge of this and that. She thought it was an interesting theory. It had a lot of evidence to back it up, and it certainly filled several holes in human history, but it was just a theory. Not anymore.

The conspiracy theorists would be quaking.

She looked back up at her alien companion. He was laughing at her wildly confused expression.

“I told you we’ve made quite a few visits.” He grinned

“I know now.” She said with a nervous laughter. “So, what did you mean by ‘a more sophisticated version’ of your language?”

“We usually don’t talk like that.” He explained. “Normally we commune through signals, noises, or...uh, what do you call it, tel-....tell-....tele-”

“...Telepathy?”

“Yeah. But it’s not like the science fiction films you people make. It’s not talking into other people’s brains or anything like that. It’s more like reading each other’s body language, but in a psychological-chemical sensory balance kind of way. I’m probably explaining this really badly…”

“No, I understand what you mean.”

Jacklyne continued to admire the plants for a while, stopping every so often to get a better view. Umbria’s forest reminded the mechanic of the Amazon, just less rainy. More like a temperate forest version of the Amazon, she thought, but it was just as beautiful and diverse with life. As the duo continued to trail through the forest, Jacklyne heard a small squeaking noise. She jerked her head around, searching for the source of the noise. Her eyes soon land on a little rodent-like creature. She bent down to inspect the small animal. It was about the size of a common house rat, but a little bigger. It was a pastel green, with lilac eyes and spots dotting it’s back. This coloration was more than likely adapted to blend in with the forest. Jacklyne held out her hand, beckoning the rodent to come to her. The creature didn’t seem to fear her presence, and crawled into her hand. 

Before she could even ask, Avel answered. “Strideo.”

“It’s adorable.” She whispered. “ The woman petted the mouse lovingly. “As much as I wish I could, I know I can’t keep it.” Jacklyne placed the mouse back onto the ground. It scurried away into the pale green bushes. “I assume you have predators roaming these woods too.”

“Yep.”

“And they won’t be as friendly, will they?”

“Not at all.” Avel looked back at her. “But they’re nocturnal. We still have several hours of daylight left, and as long as we don’t go near their resting places, we’ll be fine. We’re nowhere near any caves or ground holes anyway.”

The two continued back on their trail. Jacklyne continued to study the wildlife, running into more small mammals and loving all over them. Avel acted as if he didn’t notice anything she was doing.

~~~

The sun was going down once they reached city limits. Umbria’s sun appeared to be a white, yellowish orange. It's one of the cooler stars, similar to Earth’s own sun. On the other side of the sky, Jacklyne noticed Umbria’s moon. Er, moons, actually. 3 moons. One being larger than the others. The moons were in a triangular formation, the largest one higher in the sky than the other two. An odd formation, Jacklyne thought. 

“Your sun and moons, do they have names, too?”

“Our sun is Lumen. The twin moons are Tenebris and Caligo. The largest moon is Gigas.”

The veteran hummed. “Is there a story behind their names?” She asked. “Your planet has mythology, doesn’t it?”

“Of course.” Avel answered. “Lumen was the fire that burned a hole in the universe. He bled the fire that created our planet. His brother, Gigas, had two daughters, Tenebris and Caligo. The three danced across the sky, leaving their trail of hue. They stepped on stars, which were once molten rock, and gave them light.” The alien glanced at the moons. “They say when the sun is centered between the moons, the four will come back in full glory, to destroy the planet and rebuild it again.”

“Do you believe that?” Jacklyne spoke up. “It is just mythology, after all.”

Avel chuckled. “Mythology, you call it. Fables, tall tales. Even religious delusion. I’ll say, all those crazy drawings and ancient texts that speak of Gods, Goddesses, curses and eternal punishment, could all be facts. Since those events took place so long ago, no one knows what actually happened. For all you know, your ancestors weren’t using shrooms. They saw everything.” The alien regained his composure. “Yes, I do believe it. The way things have gone downhill in the past decade, I think it’s time for this planet to be wiped clean. I don’t have a reason not to believe.”

Jacklyne didn’t question him any further. She understood. 

In someone’s time of need, all they want is a gleam of hope.

She understood completely.

“Anyway,” Avel spoke up. “We should head to my old base. Let’s find what’s left of it.” His response was tinged with a bit of sadness.

~~~  
The backside of the city appeared abandoned. Rubble was spread across the ground in various areas. Paper and some household items were thrown here and there. Jacklyne noticed splatters of what looked like paint. She searched for graffiti, hoping to see their handwritten language perhaps, but didn’t find anything. Once she got closer to the “paint” she realized something. It was too thin to be paint.

And it was glowing. 

“Um,” She whispered. “What is that?”

Avel glanced over. “Oh, um…” On one hand, Avel was glad she didn’t know what it was, but on the other, he was surprised she didn’t realize it. Even though he wanted to, he couldn’t avoid the question. “It’s blood.”

Jacklyne gasped, and stepped away quickly. She’s not scared of blood, shes seen plenty of it, but this was different. What if the blood carried a disease that doesn’t affect these aliens, but affected her? She didn't want to think about that. Glancing back down at the blood splattered ground, she noticed that the splatters were different colors. Odd, she thought.

As if he read her mind, Avel explained. “Our variations are only a few different colors. Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, Yellow…” He rolled his eyes. “And Red, but the matriarch only has that color.” 

“Interesting.” She whispered. Just by looking at Avel, she could tell his was green. She hoped she would only see the jade colors on his scales and horns, not on the ground.

Avel pushed rubble out the way, revealing a hole dug into the ground next to one of the taller buildings. He gestures for Jacklyne to follow him. She hesitated a bit, but complied. She’s trusted him this far along. It wouldn’t make sense to stop now.

~~~

To Jacklyne, it was too dark to see anything, but Avel could see perfectly fine. The room was utterly destroyed. Papers were scattered across the ground. Terminals and other electronics were smashed to pieces. Avel appeared to have no reaction to it, but inside he was sore. He didn’t want to see all this again, but if there was a chance that anything was left…  
The alien began to scavenge through piles of scrapped electronics. Some of this stuff may be useful later on, he told himself. Wouldn't want to waste anything, especially these days. 

Once she found the night vision function on the helmet, Jacklyne began doing some exploring, too. She tried to imagine what the hideout would look like before it was raided. Monitors, maps, and tracking devices. You can’t be a resistance without your own intel. The image reminded Jacklyne of the situation back on Earth. Deep down, she knows there are resistances building up, too. The situation isn’t getting any better. Too much government involvement. “Power to the people,” they said. What a lie.

Perhaps she and Avel have more in common than she realized. 

The alien’s ears perked up. He looked from the corner of his eye, searching for something in the darkened hallway. Jacklyne attempted to say something, but Avel held his hand up, signalling her to stay quiet. Jacklyne noticed his glowing features began to dim. Avel crouched down, and left into the hallway. The woman became a little anxious when he was out of her view. What did he hear? Were they in danger? She searched around the room for something to arm herself with.

Avel swiftly moved around corners, his pointed ears flicking to the direction the noise was emitting from. Whoever, or whatever, was in here was moving rather quickly. A sudden clang caused the floor to vibrate, and Avel immediately knew where to go next. He tracked the vibration, gilding across the halls. Once he saw the outline of the intruder, he extended his long claws to grab them and-

“Avel!” Her deep voice cried out. She grabbed onto his wrist, restraining him from moving any further towards her. She lightened herself, the orange glow he recognized so well.

“Papilia?”


	11. VII

    Avel stared back at the other Cambionite. His shock soon turned to anger. He snatched his wrist out of her grip, then stepped back. He wanted to say something, but he waited for her to respond.

 

She spoke to him through their native language. “ _Avel, I thought they killed you! Where did you-_ ”

 

“ _I would say the same for you, but you somehow managed to escape while everyone else was captured…_ ” Avel leered at her. “ _And no one saw you after that._ ”

 

The orange blooded woman looked down. “ _I’m sorry, I just-_ ”

 

“ _Sorry? Everyone else is dead! And you’re just ‘sorry’. That’s it? Do you realize what we all went through while you ran to hide away?!_ ”

 

Papilia knew she had no excuse. She joined Caelux under the oath that she’d sacrifice herself for her teammates, her _amici_ and _Iugales_. She broke that oath when she left them behind. Papilia thought they were all executed, yet she still returned to the base to protect one of the most important assets they had. Now, here she is, face to face with her leader that she left for dead. She’s never felt so much shame crawling inside.

 

Avel still had authority ringing off his voice. It was a tone she had lodged in her memory. Orange tears ran down Papilia’s cheeks. She’s never cried in front of him until now. “ _I’m sorry, Centurio. I’m so sorry. I know I shouldn’t have left, but I couldn’t let them get it. Someone had to be here, I just..._ ”

 

He couldn’t stay angry at her. After all, she did return to the base. It wasn’t as if she coward away forever.

 

Avel sighed. “ _Papilia, Ignosco tibi._ ”

 

She smiled, then cleared her throat and regained her composure. “ _Centurio, the guards destroyed almost everything we had, but didn’t locate our hiding places. We still have our most important assets in our possession._ ”

 

Avel was relieved, but kept his mournful expression. “ _That’s great, but...nothing can replace the powerful minds we lost._ ”

 

Papilia nodded. “ _I know. But we can’t dread on it forever. They’re in our memories, and we must continue their work, it’s the least we can do for them._ ”

  


He nodded. “ _But we can’t continue with just us. We’re going to need other supporters. Strength in numbers, and effort. And we’ll have to relocate. They’ve already found this area, we’ll have to go somewhere far off_.”

 

“ _Where do you suggest, Centurio?_ ”

 

~

 

Jacklyne waited patiently, holding a large rusty crowbar in her hands, prepared to swing at any sign of movement.

 

Looking down the dark hallway, she immediately recognized her alien friend’s green glow. She lowered the crow bar, but quickly raised it again after seeing the orange light behind him.

 

The alien sat several metal boxes down on a nearby wooden table. “Put the bar down, Pixie. I’m fine.” Avel said with a sigh. Papilia followed with smaller boxes in her hands.

 

Jacklyne slowly lowered the crowbar, glancing at the unfamiliar woman. Papilia felt her staring. The dark helmet on her head made it even more intimidating. She smiled nervously, and waved.

 

Avel noticed the tension in the room. “Oh, uh, Pixie, this is Papilia. She was a member of Caelux, when it was in its prime.”

 

“I thought you said they were all executed?”

 

“She managed to get away. I figured they would have caught her eventually, but she escaped successfully and hid out here, guarding what was left of the place.”

 

Jacklyne nodded. She didn’t have any further questions. She looked over to Papilia.  “My name isn’t Pixie, by the way. It’s Jacklyne. Pixie is just some stupid nickname he gave me-”

 

Avel cut in, with a joking tone and a dramatic gasp. “It’s NOT stupid, how dare you!?”

 

“-When we first met.” She finished.

 

Papilia giggled. She was about to respond in Cambionian, but realized Jacklyne might not understand. She quickly tried to remember how to speak the human primary language, switching to English.

“You’re a human, right?” She asked, speaking with a thick accent, it seemed.

 

“I am. Was it obvious?”

 

“Of course. You are much larger and broader than us, and most females here. Your legs are structured differently. You’re wearing an oxygen mask. And even if you could successfully disguise yourself, your voice will give it away. The way you sound will definitely expose you, if not anything else.”

 

Jacklyne was intrigued. Despite the similarities between humans and the cambionites, the differences still persist. She hoped they won't hinder anything in the future.

  


After a moment of silence Avel suddenly spoke up. “I...realize I have quite a bit of explaining to do.” Avel pulled out the old chair from beside the table and sat down. “When the Matriarch’s guard sent us to the execution field, she had us all lined up. I was at the back of the line, since I was the one in charge of Caelux’s operation. She wanted me to see each one of my _amici_ killed. But the emperor, or king, wanted to spare me, considering our previous relations...and stuff...anyway, despite his protest, the Matriarch ignored him, she wanted all of us dead. While they were distracted in their argument, I snuck off and escaped in one of their _Spatii_. I didn’t really care where it was going, I just wanted to get out of there. Away from...well..anywhere.”

 

Papilia listened closely to his story. She felt sorrow for her Centurio and what he had to experience. A part of her regretted even escaping in the first place.

 

Jacklyne knows what it’s like to want to leave. She felt that constant ache during her times alone in the Space Exploration base, or staying by herself in the Mechanical Engineering area, waiting for some broken machine to come her way. No, she may not fully understand what Avel had to witness, she’s never seen anyone die in front if her, She’s never physically been locked up in chains, but she does know the longing for escape. Wanting to leave everything behind and just leave.

 

She knows that feeling all too well.

 

Avel stood up and exhaled quietly. “Anyway, we need to move all this to our new _Oblitesco_.” He picked up a few boxes, stacking them. “We’re going westward of here, far from the city.” He looked at the still functioning clock on the wall. “And we need to hurry if we’re gonna be out of here by the time people start moving around.”

 

Papilia and Jacklyne carried the remaining boxes, and exited the old hideaway. The box on the bottom of Jacklyne’s stack was rather heavy. She’s carried heavy machinery before, but this was far heavier than anything she’s dealt with. Jacklyne wanted to be as careful with it as possible, as she was unaware if it was breakable or not, but it was difficult because of its weight. As she tried to keep up with the two aliens ahead of her, she nearly dropped the box, and heard whatever was inside ring.

 

“Dammit…” She whispered. “It better not be broken.” Jacklyne felt her hands steadily become warm. She glanced down at the box. Whatever was inside was bright, and heating up.


	12. Imperatrix V

_ I need you to understand, _

 

_ There is more to this than just you, _

 

_ What you are telling those people, _

 

_ It is nothing but lies, _

 

_ Lies to get what you want, _

 

_ If you do this, _

 

_ It will be the biggest mistake you have ever made,  _

 

_ But, _

 

_ … _

 

_ There is nothing I can do, is there? _


End file.
